5 Ways to Keep TBBT Franchise Alive After Young Sheldon Ends
From more conventional to the craziest, these ideas will have you talking.
It's hard to imagine but it's been six years since Young Sheldon, a spin-off to The Big Bang Theory, premiered on CBS, telling the backstory of science prodigy Sheldon Cooper in his childhood and teenage years.
The spin-off has already spanned six seasons, with the most recent coming to an end in May. Since the prequel is largely restricted by the TBBT canon, it's meant to conclude after the upcoming Season 7, which is now at risk of postponement due to the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
However, it doesn't mean the end of the franchise in general. Here are five possible ways to expand The Big Bang Theory universe after Young Sheldon wraps up.
5. The Coopers
Even though he's the show's titular character, Sheldon Cooper is arguably the least favorite character for most fans. Instead, people are more inclined to root for his parents, Mary and George Cooper, his siblings Missy and Georgie, and grandmother Meemaw.
Some fans expect that the producers might create another spin-off to follow the Coopers after George Sr. dies and Sheldon leaves for CalTech in the Young Sheldon finale. Everyone would love to see Georgie and Mandy build a family and raise their daughter Cece, Missy go through puberty, and Mary and Meemaw cope with George's passing.
4. CalTech
On the other hand, we might continue following Sheldon during his first steps in CalTech. Neither TBBT nor Young Sheldon have given us much information about his early years as a student and scientist, so the creators would have plenty of freedom to explore this part of the character's life. Such a spin-off would work as a nice bridge between teenage Sheldon of the first prequel and the grown-up man he is in TBBT.
3. More Solo Prequels
The franchise could apply the same approach to other TBBT characters and show them as children and young adults, leading up to the events of the main series. Of all the characters, Raj seems like a perfect fit for a solo prequel: his big family and their long journey to America would be incredibly fun to watch.
2. TBBT Sequel
Naturally, another option is to continue the TBBT story after the finale. What's the Pasadena gang up to now? How are they going with their families? Perhaps we could even see adult Sheldon doing a memoir podcast where he narrates his childhood life, which would work as a sweet callback to Young Sheldon.
1. TBBT Reboot
This option is probably the most radical and bizarre, but it's still a possibility. Some things in the original plot would have to be changed to avoid inconsistencies with Young Sheldon — or perhaps the producers could create a whole new alternate universe with the beloved characters living totally different lives.